Wheel.



L. G. HANDY. WHEEL. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 4. 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

ATTORNEY r'uLuMlnA PLANQGRAPH co., wAsnlNu-roN, u. c,

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

` UNHEU STATES! PATENT @FFFCE EVIN GESSFORiD HANDY, OF RUTI-IERFORD, NEWJERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM C. DICKERIVIAN, OF YORK, N. Y.

WHEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 9,1912.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVIN Gnssronn HANDY, residing at Rutherford, NewJersey, and being a citizen of the United States, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Wheels, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and to use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred form ofthe invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as itis obvious that various modifications thereof will occur to personsskilled in the art.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a fragmentof a wheel embodying the features of the invention, the section being`taken on the plane indicated by line 1 1 of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a sectiontaken on the plane indicated by line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig, 3 is a sectiontaken on the plane indicated by line 3 3 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a sectiontaken on the plane indicated by line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings by numerals; 1 indicates the wood felly, 2 thespokes, and 3 the fixed rim of any ordinary wheel body. Suitable wearplates or rings 4 are secured to the opposite side faces of the felly.Fit-ted in circumferential grooves around the outer corners of the fellyand beneath rim 3 is a pair of packing rings 5. Fixed to the outer faceof the rim 3 and suitably spaced apart at points approximately midway inthe width thereof, are a series of radially projecting standards 6.Formed at each of the standards is a pair of oppositely disposed cups 7.Slidingly engaging the opposite wear plates 4 and se cured to the innerface of the detachable rim 9 is a pair of annular guide plates, or rings10. The inner edge of each of the plates 10 is turned outwardly, as at10a, for the purpose of stiffening same. The outer edge of each plate 10is turned out-ward and riveted or otherwise secured to the under face ofthe detachable rim as at 10b. The inner circumference of the detachablerim is somewhat greater than the outer circumference of the felly, andthe space between contains the resilient and frictional means ofengagement therebetween.

Occupying positions upon opposite sides of the standards 6, within thespace between the detachable rim and the felly, and movable in suitableguides, as at 11, is a pair of inflexible circumferentially disposedchannel rings 12. The guides 11 consist of a series of plates 12a whichare riveted or 4the rings and at points to cooperate with the cups 7 area series of cups 13 similar to the cups 7 and forming pairs therewith.Between the cups 7 and 13 of each pair is disposed a ball 8. The ballsare designed to lie normally at the center of the cups so that anysliding movement of the cups relative to each other will cause the ballsto travel out the inclined walls of the cups and force the rings 12-12apart.

At point-s intermediate of each of the standards 6, each of the rings 12is provided with a spring supporting pocket 14. The pockets are fittedinto suitable apertures in the rings, and between the hollow of each ofthe pockets and the inner wall of the adj oining side plates 10 is acompression spring 15. The pockets are arranged inA pairs so that thetwo pockets of each pair are directly opposite across the face of thefelly. A bolt 1G extends centrally through each pair of springs andthrough apertures in the bottoms of the pockets. The opposite ends ofeach of the bolts are shouldered, as at 17, engaging washers 17aretained by nuts 17b which in turn engage the opposite side plates 10,the end portions of the respective bolt extending beyond the shoulders17 through the side plates. Suitable nuts as 18 engage the projectingends of the bolts and serve to bind the parts firmly together.

To provide access to the working parts of the device, the rim 9 isformed of two sections 9a and 9b. The section 9a carries one of theplates l0 and the section 9b carries the other plate 10. The transverseguide members 12 are arranged to project beyond the inner edge of themember 9LL and beneath the adjoining edge of the member 9b so as to formshoulders upon which the section 9* rests in such manner as to preventany movement of one of the sections relative to the other when the wheelis assembled.

In operation, the weight of a vehicle, uponl which the wheel may beapplied, will cause the felly with the standards and the cups 7 to movetoward, or away from, the rim 9. Since the rings 12 always maintain aposition concentric with the rim 9, the action of the balls 8 upon therelatively inclined faces of the cups 7 and 13 will be such as to causethe rings 12 to move away from each other and against the tension of thesprings 15. It will be noted that each and every spring will besimultaneously and equally aHected by any movement of the rim relativeto the folly, so that each of the springs will bear its exact proportionof the entire load. When the wheel body is moved relative to thedemountable rim, the cups '7 are moved relative to the cups 13, and eachof the balls will be caused to move away from the centers of its pair ofcups and to stand with only one point in contact with each of said cups.During any subsequent movement of the cups relative to each other, theballs will simply be caused to rotate within the cups and to ride nearerto or farther from the centers of the cups according to the severity ofthe shocks to which the wheel is subjected. By this construction therequired resiliency between the tire and the felly is admirably obtainedand properly frictionally damped. Incidentally the element of frictionand attendant wear is reduced to a minimum.

A suitable muflling tire 20 is mounted on rim 9, and serves to absorbthe lighter shocks.

IVhat I claim is:

l. In a wheel, a wheel body, a rim therefor, a circumferentiallydisposed ring between the rim and wheel body, means of frictionalengagement between the ring and wheel body, means of resilientengagementbetween the ring and rim adapted to allow lateral movement of the ring,a plate rigidly fixed to and extending from the ring, and guiding meanscarried by the rim and engaging the plate for directing movement of thering.

2. In a wheel, a wheel body, a rim therefor, a ciroumferentiallydisposed ring between the two first mentioned elements, means ofvfrictional engagement between the ring and one of the rst two mentionedelements, means of resilient engagement between the ring and the otherof the first two mentioned elements, a guide -plate rigidly fixed to andextending from the ring, and guiding means carried by one of the firsttwo mentioned elements and slidingly engaging said guide plates.

8. In a wheel, a wheel body, a rim therefor, a circumferentiallydisposed ring be- 'tween the firsttwo mentioned elements,

means of frictional engagement between the ring and one of the first twomentioned elements, means of resilient engagement between the ring andthe other of t-he first two mentioned elements, guiding means extendingfrom the ring toward one of the first two -mentioned elements, and achannel guiding member fixed to one of the first two mentioned elementsand having a sliding engagement with said guiding means.

et. In a wheel, a wheel body, a rim therefor, shftable means ofengagement between the rim and wheel body, said rim comprisingdetachable circumferential sections, means for securing the sectionstogether, and a guiding member for the shiftable means of engagement,said guiding member being xed to one section of t-he rim and lapping theother. l

5. In a wheel, a wheel body, a rim therefor, transversely disposed guidemembers fixed to the rim on the inner surface thereof, circumferentiallydisposed rings between the wheel body and rim, means of frictionalengagement between the wheel body and rings, means of resilientengagement between the rings and rim, and slotted plates fixed to therings and disposed with the guiding members extending in the slots ofthe plates.

6. In a wheel, a wheel body, a rim therefor, circumferentially disposedrings between the rim and wheel body, means of friotional engagementbetween the wheel body and rings, means of resilient engagement betweenthe rings and rim, transversely disposed guiding members fixed to therim, and plates fixed to the rings and outstanding therefrom, and bentat their outer portions into flattened sections, engaging the fiat innerface of the rim, each of the said fiattened sections being slotted lforreceiving the respective guiding mem- 7 In a wheel, a wheel body, a rimtherefor, a circumferentially disposed ring between the rim and wheelbody, means vof frictional engagement between the ring and wheel body,means of resilient engagement between the ring and rim, a transverselydisposed guiding member fixed to the rim,

and a guiding plate fixed to the ring and outstanding therefrom intosliding engagement with the guiding member.

8. In a wheel, a wheel body, a rim therefor, a circumferentiallydisposed ring between the wheel body and rim, means of frictionalengagement between the Wheel body and ring, means of resilientengagement between the ring and rim, transversely disposed guidingmembers fixed to the inner face of the rim, and guiding plates Xed tothe ring and outstanding therefrom, and each formed with its outerportion bent into a flat section engaging the fiat inner surface of therim and slotted for receiving the respective guiding member.

9. A device of the character described including a wheel body, a rimtherefor, a circumferentially disposed ring between said rim and thewheel body, said rim comprising two sections, a side plate carried byeach section, through bolts passing through said side plates, sustainingwashers mounted upon said through bolts, spring members interposedbetween said washers and said ring, a guide plate mounted upon onesection of said rim, means carriedv by said ring adapted to coperatewith said guide plate, and means for securing said ring to said wheelbody.

10. A device of the character described including a wheel body, a rimtherefor, a circumferentially disposed ring between said wheel body andsaid rim, resilient springs, means for sustaining and maintaining saidsprings in definite relation to said ring, said rim being composed oftwo sections, a rigid guide plate attached to one of said sections,guide members attached to said ring and adapted to coperate with saidguide plate, and connectors between said ring and said wheel body.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

LEviN GEssFoRD HANDY.

Witnesses:

EDGAR M. Kirai-IIN, FRANK. V. COOPER.

Copies of this 'patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

